Her 800-kilometer (500 mi) trek from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean along the Haute Route Pyrenees was just the beginning of a long journey of inquiry and reflection, comparing the Pyrenean region with her home turf of Alaska. Retired research professor and award-winning science journalist Sharman Haley fills the pages with evocative descriptions of the sights, sounds, smells, joys and ordeals along the way, segueing into essays on things that piqued her interest, and their Alaska counterpoint. The essays are wide-ranging, including flora, fauna, forests, insects, birdsong, meteorology, geology, gastronomy, archeology, anthropology, history, technology and land use, with a little twist of humor thrown in. Each chapter is lavishly illustrated with original watercolors by her artist companion Michael Samoya.